Cloth Diapers?

[Puppmom]

Pancake, I have both the Planet-wise bag and Fuzzibunz bag. They both do the trick. With the Planet-wise bag, the waterproof lining is not attached so you turn it inside out (more like pull it apart) to wash. It never stinks. Drying it is harder than the Fuzzibunz because you need to hang it (still pulled inside out) from the waterproof lining. Otherwise, the water pools in the lining and it doesn't dry. Does that make sense?

Bella, I have to confess that I never realized the FB bag unzipped at the bottom!

 

[pancake]

Thanks Puppmom! I am thinking we will probably get a pail and a wetbag - one for the nursery and the other for the laundry, where we have a workstation that we'll set up as a change table as well.

I have a couple of questions to farm out:

1. Has anyone tried out Hiney Lineys? I have just bought some to try out but it appeals to me that the liner can be unsnapped and the cover can be reused - so it can be used as a pocket (which I would stuff with prefolds/boosters) or it can be used without the liner as a cover. The concept is a little different from other hybrids (I have a couple of Flips) so I thought I'd give it a go. I got one NB cover with 3 snap-in lineys, one one-size cover with 3 lineys, and 2 medium packages (I think they have discontinued the small/medium/large system so each package is 1 cover with 5 lineys). Total was only $75 with a 25% discount code, so I thought that was pretty good value!

2. Re prefolds: which do you all use? I have 6 Bummis organic cotton (these have now been prewashed several times but they don't seem to quilt up like traditional prefolds, is this just the fabric they use?), 6 stretch bamboo NBs, a few Loveybums fleece... I would like to buy some "basic" ones but not sure which to get (?Indian ?Chinese ?Bleached ?Unbleached ?Size ?Regular ?Premium), or which size. Which dimensions are the most useful? I know some are more rectangular, some are more square... I plan to use prefolds a lot for the first few months (alternating with flats and a few AIOs), then use them part-time after that as diapers and part-time as pocket-stuffers.

 

[lliang_chi]

PG, just posting to let you know that BabySteals has Blueberry trainer pants (pull up style) on sale. In case you want to get a start on DD#1's potty training stash....

 

[phoenixgirl]

Thank you LC! We have some Gerber training pants (3 for $8 or something at Target) that in no way hold as much as a diaper, but I figured they would be better than buying a bunch of expensive cloth diaper-like trainers. Claire wears her "big girl pants" sometimes, and she gets an M&M if she keeps them dry. Thankfully she hasn't gone #2 in them yet, but that's probably just because she hasn't worn them that often.

PC, I haven't heard of Hiney Lineys, so no help there.

I got the same pack of Bummis prefolds and got the same results as you. My other prefolds shrank right up. I was wondering if it was because I didn't boil them first? I don't really know. I didn't look up specifically how to prep them - I just washed and dried them a bunch of times.

Got my Charlie Banana large (to add to Claire's stash - now that a couple of her diapers have bit the dust and the mediums are reeeeeeeeally getting tight, we're kind of stash poor right now) and my Blueberry/Swaddlebees clearance mini pockets today. Yay. Just waiting for the Happy Heiny inserts to go in them.

I'm also washing my FB one-sizes (that Claire has outgrown) today because I've heard that you need to wash them occasionally or else the elastic might go bad. Has anyone else heard that?

 

[Puppmom]

re: elastic. I guess that makes sense. Maybe the elastic dries out and cracks?

Nolan is currently on Zythromax for an ear infection. Let's just says it's a cloth diapering momma's worst nightmare. Then again, I guess it wouldn't be pleasant with disposables either!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Oh Pupp, sorry to hear that. Can you give him lots of yoghurt/probiotics to try to keep him balanced? And nobody will judge you if you need to use disposables until he's better! Yucky yuck yuck.

 

[Puppmom]

Phoenix, when he was on Augmentin we tried disposables and he got a rash. At first, we thought it was the diarrhea (which turned out not to be that bad) but, as soon as we put him back in cloth, his buns cleared up. We had 5 or 6 left and put him in them overnight last night out of desperation and exhaustion. He was exploding like every 45 minutes ALL NIGHT LONG! This antibiotic is no joke!

So...2 of my 3 Applecheeks bit the dust. One has totally shot elastic and PUL died in the other. The PUL, instead of being a smooth waterproof surface, is now a bunch of little dots of waterproof material with gaps in it...if that makes any sense. I'm wondering if a round in the dryer will sort of melt it back together? Of course that's the one receipt I can't find. I'm pretty sure I bought them at GOGO Natural so I think I'm going to contact them.

 

[pancake]

Puppmom, you poor things - all of you! Hope things clear up soon - the ear, the course of antibiotics, the diarrhoea. Ugh. Re the Applecheeks, you could also contact them directly, I have heard they are quite helpful.

PG - I prewashed, then boiled my Bummis prefolds. They still look the same! When I drop water on them it absorbs straight away so maybe that's just the way they are.

So... my self-control is non-existent. I just bought some more stuff, this time delving into the Euro nappy market! I have just ordered:

1 Disana wool soaker
4 Disana tie nappies (if I can get the hang of these they look like they would be fantastic for night-time as they are so flexible)
2 Nature Babies Bamboo Lovables (bamboo terry fitteds)
2 Nature Babies Diddies (cotton terry fitteds)

The Nature Babies fitteds are to experiment with in the first couple of months - apparently they are lovely and trim on newborns. Going to try those, bamboo prefolds, cotton prefolds, bamboo flats and GAD pockets underneath the Imse Vimse, Thirsties and Bumboo covers I have bought.

Is it reasonable to keep the one-size nappies (BG 4.0s, BG Elementals, Flips) until bub is a little bigger? They just look enormous, even snapped down to the smallest size!

ETA: The Bumboo covers have also been purchased since the last time I posted. But with prints like these (see below) how could I resist? I got one in the puzzle print and another in the teal chevron. If they work well I am sorely tempted to go back and get the other two as well.

 

[Kunzite]

pancake - I adore that teal chevron print!! I was just looking at buying more prefolds, since I need more in my stash now, and this is what I found about the difference between Chinese and Indian cotton. All of my prefolds are in Infant size (7-15 pounds) because I only plan to use them in the beginning until my OS diapers fit well. We have Indian prefolds and that's probably what I'll buy more of since they seem to be holding up just fine and I don't plan to use them too long.

Indian prefolds benefits:
Softer cotton
Unbleached diapers wash up quicker (3 washes)

Indian prefolds drawbacks:
May wear out faster than the Chinese prefolds.
Lighter weight thread is used when sewing the ends of the diapers so the thread may wear out faster than the fabric does.

Chinese prefolds benefits:
Heavier duty stitching
Due to being made of a heavier-weight fabric and stitched with a thicker thread, these prefolds will probably stay nice longer than the Indian prefolds.

Chinese prefolds drawbacks:
May pill up more than the Indian prefolds.
These diapers are still soft but they are definitely rougher than the Indian prefolds (when washed and dried in the same load)
It takes 7-10 hot wash cycles to make an unbleached Chinese prefold usable and absorbent.

http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=277

 

[Kunzite]

Oh, and pupp!!! You can't have diapers biting the dust too! You ladies are starting to making me nervous that I'm going to start loosing diapers any day!

 

[pancake]

Oooh thanks Kunzite! Are you hoping to fully CD your twinnies?

I think I just have to accept that since this is my first bub, it'll be trial and error and by the time I work out what I like most for each stage it will be time to move onto the next stage already - will have to store up the info in my head for the next time! In hindsight I probably wouldn't have bought the smallest AIOs if I'd had this time over (just because covers and prefolds seem much more efficient when it comes to drying time) but then again, they were a great price and they really are freaking cute!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Pancake, so you're thinking of selling your BumGeniuses? I'd hold onto them. I'm guessing the newborn stuff will fit for a few weeks, the size 1 or mini one size stuff will fit a few months, and then you have 18 months or more when the regular one size stuff should fit. So it's a better investment overall. You may outgrow them before potty-training, but by then you'll know what you like.

I brought my CDs to my mom's for Christmas. I did use two disposables while I was washing them so I wouldn't have to travel with her overnight diaper in the car today or leave dirty diapers at home for 5 days, but that's better than using 25+ disposables while we're here. So we'll see how it goes! I brought my own detergent because last time I had to use my mom's tide + febreeze and the diapers stank afterwards. I don't know if it was the fragrance or buildup in her washer or what, but I'm going to have to experiment this time to make sure that doesn't happen again.

 

[pancake]

No, not going to sell anything. Think we will definitely use all the one-size stuff after a few months and then it should last quite a long time, as you suggest It was more the smallest sized AIOs that I was thinking of, but I'm sure we will use those too.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Oh, I gotcha Pancake. Well, you might really like them, so I'd hang on to them for now. Or maybe we should do a transcontinental swap because I'm thinking I shouldn't have bothered getting covers . . .

So . . . remember how I asked for diapers for Christmas? Well, I didn't get that many (just the sampler from Diaper Junction), but my mom did give me $100 to buy some more. I just got 4 Swaddlebees Simplex Newborn AIOs and 3 FuzziBunz XSs from KellysCloset, plus I split it into two orders and got a free XS FuzziBunz with aplix with each order. (Those are the ones that I didn't love when I got the larges for Claire, but with a newborn I think I'll like aplix better, it won't have to hold up for as long, and hey, free is free!)

The newborn sampler package came with one FB XS, one BG XS, one Bummis Whisper Wrap, a couple of prefolds, and it was supposed to come with a Kissaluvs fitted but they were out, so they sent a Thirsties Duo Diaper (the pocket) instead. I was counting on having an extra fitted in my stash but the Duo costs $5 more so I guess I can't complain. Once I saw the diapers, I definitely liked the FB better than the BG (the laundry tab is in the very back, and while it is the soft part of the velcro, I don't like it being right against baby's skin, plus you can adjust the absorbency with the FB), so that's why I went ahead and ordered a few more of them.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Just did a cost analysis of my now quite healthy newborn stash.

Retail cost: $913
Cost to me: $531
Cost to my mom: $152
Cost to both of us: $683

Cost to use Pampers for 4 months (assuming 20 centers per diaper, 10 changes a day): $240

Amount I can expect to recoup after selling diapers: $400???? I really have no idea. It will be nice to recoup money and know the diapers are going to good use, but I'm not going with cloth thinking that I have to sell them for anywhere close to their retail, plus I know shipping will eat into that.

Definitely proud of my deal-finding. Even without the gifts from my mom, I averaged 30% off on the ones I bought. That's certainly easier to swallow than $900! Because of the deals and gifts, it looks like I'll be able to play with $900 worth of diapers and then get out most of what I've put in. Not bad!

Stay tuned for installment two . . . the de-stash 6 months from now!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Hey ladies- I'm quite a few months out from labor and delivery but am planning on CDing. I'm interested in using prefolds in the early days, with either pins or Snappis. I know I may be singing a different tune once our little one is here, but I'll cross that bridge once I get to it

My question is: Do any of you use prefolds with wool shorties or longies? I've been reading up on wool and am quite intrigued... plus I think I could knit some woolies on my own. Do any of you have experiences to share? Is it true that they don't need to be washed after every single wear? Are they actually good at stopping leaks? If so, I just may have to get a pair or two off of Etsy. They're so gosh-darn cute and seem super comfy.

I've browsed on the DS forum but it's so overwhelming, especially because I am a CD novice. I figured I'd ask here before venturing into the big, bad world of CDing mamas.

 

[lliang_chi]

PPM, I'm brand new to CDing too. I'm due in Feb. My plan is to go with the pre-fold & diaper covers for the newborn time period. Then switch to AIO one-size once baby gets big enough. I think you need some kind of cover (either wool or the PUL covers), and it's an economical way to start with the CDing. I looked up online from PhoenixGirl (PG) and saw some sites have rentals for NBs, so I'm going to go that route if they have availability for me. If they don't, I'll just pick up some pre-folds and diaper covers and go on my merry way.

A lot of mamas here are so knowledgeable and so helpful. We're really lucky to have a great PS community.

~LC

 

[pancake]

PPM, I don't have any experience myself yet (except in helping my mum CD my brother and sister back in the day!) but I too am very keen on the idea of wool. With my newborn/early infancy stash I have hedged my bets a bit and bought a little of everything, so I have (or am about to receive):

- 6 stretchy bamboo prefolds
- 12 bamboo flats
- 6 Nature Babies organic fitteds (3 bamboo terry, 3 cotton terry)
- 2 GAD newborn fleece pockets
- 3 Disana cotton knit tie flats
- about 10 Bambooty AIOs
- 2 Bumboo PUL covers, 2 Imse Vimse wool wrap covers, and a few Imse Vimse Organic and Thirsties PUL covers that I bought second-hand
- 1 Disana wool velcro wrap cover
- 1 Disana pull-up soaker (but I bought this in a size Medium - plan to use it overnight once baby sleeps longer stretches, to begin with I see little point in having a "night" diaper/cover)

I like the look of the Sloomb/Sbish wool covers too but they are SO much more expensive than Disana that I can't bring myself to pay the extra (I got the Disana pull up soaker for ~$15 new). The Imse Vimse wool covers are different - they are felt rather than knit, and do not have any stretch in them. I'm just waiting for the Disanas to arrive and then I will lanolise the lot at once. Have heard so many positives about using wool and the only negatives seem to be the effort involved in lanolising, and the need to air them out regularly. Hoping that having 4 different wool covers will allow me to always have one or two on the go - plus I have the PUL covers too so we should be right.

 

[phoenixgirl]

PPM, everyone in my family is allergic to wool, so I'm no help there. Sorry! But lots of women seem to get really into wool.

 

[Kunzite]

pancake - We're hoping to stick with CDing the twins but I'll be honest, three in diapers sounds pretty daunting to me! Poor DH is spraying all of the poo diapers right now because they still make me sick and you should see the fear in his eyes when he thinks about three sets of poo diapers to spray!!

PG - Interesting analysis! You inspired me to look at my own stash. Here's our NB breakdown.

Prefolds - $61.50 (36 prefolds)
Covers - $156 (12 covers)
Snappis - $6 (6 on CL)
Wipes - $37.50 (36 wipes)

Total - $261
Per Child - $87

Disposable diapers - $240
Disposable wipes - $36

Total - $828
Per Child - $276

Total Savings - $567


I would do a breakdown of my entire stash for the life of all three in diapers (because that would be a much larger savings!), but I honestly don't know how many more pocket diapers I'm going to need at this point. We have 23 which should be enough since we'll be washing every day, but I don't think I want to use every diaper every single day because they'll wear out pretty fast at that rate. So I guess we'll see when the time comes! Maybe 10-13 more so we can use them EOD.

PPM - Sorry, I'm no help on the wool! We just use the Thirsties wraps as I seem to have an irrational aversion to wool.

 

[phoenixgirl]

And another one (two) bites the dust . . . So I think that is all 6 of my medium FuzziBunz that I bought in July of 2010. The last two had the leg elastic loosen too much to be usable, which I weirdly just noticed at exactly the same time. At first I thought DD was just leaning out, but then I realized that she was only leaning out in two of her diapers . . . So now I've got a pile of 4 diapers with elastic and PUL issues that I should contact them about, but they've already replaced 5 diapers for me, and for some reason I feel kind of bad asking again even though the worst they can do is say no (the warranty only lasts one year - they replaced my two which delaminated after the warranty had expired, but with elastic they might just send me some new elastic . . . not like I can sew). And I also don't really mind having an excuse to try new brands. I just ordered two of the Swaddlebees Econappis on clearance. They don't come with inserts but I'll use the ones from these FBs.

Also, I realized that I left three of my diapers at my mom's, but she was nice enough to mail them fast and I just got them. Phew! I was having to wash every day and a half because with DD outgrowing a lot of her diapers and other ones croaking left and right, my stash is getting pitiful.

But my newborn/small stash is quite the bundle to behold. I will take pics if anyone wants to see. I've got:

24 AIOs: 16 Lil Joeys; 6 Swaddlebees Simplex 2.0 Newborn; 1 BumGenius XS; 1 Imse Vimse XS
25 Pockets: 9 Blueberry Mini Deluxe; 6 Happy Heinys Mini; 6 FuzziBunz XS; 3 Swaddlebees Mini Econappi; 1 Tiny Tush Mini Elite
4 Covers: 2 Thirsties Duo Size 1, 1 Rumparooz XS, 1 Bummis Whisper Wrap
2 Fitteds, both Thirsties Duo Size 1
14 prefolds

So, I've got about 30 newborn and 20 size small diapers. (Then when DD#2 outgrows those, I've got 15 FuzziBunz One-Size from DD #1 that I just adjusted down to a cute little size, plus 8 Diaper Rite Pockets One-Size that DD#1 is using now to supplement her stash.) Do you guys think I should sell the covers? I really don't see me using prefolds now that I have this giant stash, but I am wondering if I should hang onto the fitteds in case I have leak issues over night. Thoughts?

 

[lliang_chi]

Wow, PhG, you've got quite the stash for NB dipes. I wouldn't mind seeing a picture if you're up for taking it. Do you think you'll need that much dipes for a newborn? I've got 18 coming to me and now I'm nervous that it won't be enough. Maybe you can keep 1 cover to use with the fitteds if you keep them. The pre-folds you can use as spit clothes etc so it seems reasonable that you can keep them, maybe not all 14.

For me, I just got the confirmation that I'll get my package soon. I ordered the newborn rental package from ModernClothDiapers.com. I got 18 total: 6 Kissaluvs Fitteds/2 Thirsties Wraps ,6 Kissaluvs AIO's , 6 Bummis Tini Fits. The rental package requires a $75 deposit, which I'll get back after I return everything in good condition. The fee for the rental package is $80, which goes to Modern Cloth. I figure this was a good way to ease into the CD experiment.

Oh and I also got some Thristies one-size pockets (I think). Those are the ones that the inserts stuff between the waterproof layer and the soft/fleece-y layer that's on the baby's skin, right?

~LC

 

[phoenixgirl]

LC, for newborns I've heard 24 to 36 diapers. Currently I've got 20 diapers that are fitting my 26 month old (you change toddlers way less often), and while sometimes a two-day load is only 12 diapers, sometimes I run out. But this is because I wash every second morning but then if I air-dry the covers or line dry everything, it might not be until that night that I have the diapers ready to go again. So washing every other day, I really need 2.5 days' worth of diapers. I often change her diaper when it's not sopping or dirty just because we're going out and I want to start with a clean slate so I won't have to change her diaper 45 minutes into our outing. In general I try to change her every two hours, dirty or not, to keep her from getting diaper rash.

But what you can do is wash every 1 or 1.5 days at first, see which brands you like best, and then either buy some more of your own or see if you can add to your rental.

It's kind of a haze, but IIRC you will go through a minimum of 8 diapers a day with a newborn, probably more like 12. They like to poop as soon as you put a new diaper on them. Or even while you're in the process of getting it on.

And who knows, maybe you'll have a big baby and be able to get into some one-size fairly quickly. I think 18 will be good to start, but you'll probably want more than that eventually so you're not always like, crap, we have two clean diapers left, gotta get the laundry started!

 

[phoenixgirl]

LC, here's the stash in all its glory. (Not pictures are the covers, prefolds, and fitteds.)

 

[Loves Vintage]

PG - Impressive!! What are you getting next?

 

[lliang_chi]

Wow PhG, impressive stash. Did you ever figure out what you wanted to do with your pre-folds and covers? I've been thinking about what you were saying (getting more than 18 working diapers), so I think I might pick up some prefolds and covers to supplement the pocket/AIO/fitted & covers.

Another question for CD moms, do you guys put a liner in your diapers between the baby's skin and the diapers?

~Lisa

 

[Loves Vintage]

LC - I do not use liners. There are two main reasons, from what I understand, for doing so. 1. If you have to use rash cream, then you want a barrier between the diaper and the cream because standard creams will cause the diaper to become water resistant. Water resistance is not good!! Haha. 2. Easier to handle poo.

They sell diaper safe rash creams. I like the grovia magic stick http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/cloth-diapers-GroVia-Magic-Stick.html, and also just ordered a CJ's butter stick http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/CJs-Butter.html. I will use Aveeno rash cream too if needed and I just use a disposable then. I am not a CD saint! And, I'm totally ok with that!

I was advised (at a cloth diaper store) not to buy rash cream (uhm, which they sell there, not very good sales skills!) because they told me that if I had it available, then I'd probably just start using it right away even if I didn't need it. UHM, sounded reasonable at the time! Seemed a lot less reasonable when baby had her first rash, and I had no cream!

Everyone seems to develop their own routine as they go along. I just never saw a need for them, but I know there are some CD moms who would never dream of using a disposable, so liners work for them.

When do you get your sample stash? Those tots bots tiny fits are going to be ADORABLE!

 

[phoenixgirl]

LV, ha ha, I don't think I will be getting anything else! Well, OK, I lied. I'm waiting for some nursing pads (getting the Bamboobies), some Baby Bum Drops so I can try again at using resuable wipes, and another pail liner because I'm going to keep a pail downstairs too in the early days. And that qualified me for a free one-size diaper from Kelly's Closet so I'll be getting something, just don't know what. I keep thinking I should get a few more diapers for Claire, but I really just need to concentrate on potty training. She just doesn't seem super ready, but I suppose that if I have to use maybe 5 disposables a week because I run out of diapers for her, then that's still cheaper than investing in a few more large size diapers. Of course, as you can see from my NB stash, cheapness has not been my driving force in all of this. Hmmm.

Lisa, would you be interested in my covers and PFs? Do you know what you're having? Some of my stuff is girly. Since I don't really know that I'll need them, I'd just as soon get rid of them if I was helping an (online) friend. I'd price them at half of retail plus shipping, so if you just wanted covers, they should ship cheap. If you wanted the fitteds and/or some prefolds (though I'd like to keep some of those for burp cloths) it might cost more to ship, but I'm thinking it should fit in a flat rate box. I can figure all of this out and take pics if you are interested (prob what I would do is make a DiaperSwappers posting so I could link you to it and you'd have a way to contact me), but right now I've got to get dinner in the crock pot and take care of a little girl who got sent home from preschool early (I don't think she's really super sick - just a low grade fever and a runny nose).

 

[lliang_chi]

PhG, wow, that's super nice of you. I'm having a boy, so if you have some stuff that's gender neutral then that'd be sweet. I'll sign up on DiaperSwappers with my same username here. Not sure if you can find someone on DS. I've rarely been on that site.

LV, thanks for the advice on the liners. I wasn't sure what to do, ModernCloth suggested using diapers that of course I can buy from their site... Of course. I'm getting a free sample of CJ's BUTTer from them, so I'm glad to hear it's a diaper safe rash cream. I think I'll start with no liners and just be really good about spraying poop out and washing.

Speaking of spraying poop, opinions on getting a diaper sprayer? I put one on my registry, but not sure if anyone will get it for me. Anyway, I hear they're super handy, especially when the baby's on solids and BM's are more solid. If no one buys them for me, then I'll just buy it myself. I put a few cloth diapers on my registry, which I'm pretty sure no one will be getting either. Which is fine, I'll get those on my own too.

I'm not sure when I'm getting my rental stash. When I do, I'll definitely take pics, and probably ask all you mama's, "Ugh...how do you use these things?" LOL!

~LC

 

[Loves Vintage]

LC - Diaper sprayers are so overpriced! It's so annoying!! Which one did you register for? I finally broke down and bought one last week. I asked about it on DS. The nice thing about DS is that you can post any random question -- like -- "Best Deal on a Diaper Sprayer?" and people actually reply! They are very well-informed! Someone suggested buying one of the generic ones on ebay, which I did. It's was $25, I believe. Uggh, and then I tried to install it just yesterday and wasn't able to turn the water off, so I put that on DH's list. Right now, I am just doing the best I can without one.

CD'ing was the most confusing thing ever to me, until we actually started doing it. I was so confused about what to buy and what to use! It's quite overwhelming!

Re: rash creams, I've found that the CD safe creams (at least the Grovia one), do not work as well as the standard creams. It really depends on your baby, how bad the rash is, etc. S rarely had a rash when she was younger, but lately, she has been getting them quite often. Some babies never get a diaper rash. All babies are different. You will hear that all the time. And, then you will start to say it all the time. Like I just did!